71% of Japanese TV viewers watch ad-supported streaming services

Magnite , the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising company, today unveiled its latest research study “The Rise of Ad-Supported Streaming Services: An In-depth Look at Viewers’ Changing Habits in Japan.” The research finds that in Japan, adoption of streaming services, which includes television content streamed on any device, is driven by the popularity of ad-supported content and that 71% of TV viewers in the country watch ad-supported streaming services.

TV viewers across different formats are embracing the value exchange between advertising and lower-priced access to premium content, with eight in 10 TV viewers indicating that they would choose to watch free or reduced-cost ad-supported content. In addition, 65% of streamers stated they feel it’s unnecessary to pay for an ad-free service when the same content with ads is available for a lesser fee.

“Streaming TV is paving the way toward a transformed television landscape, with ad-supported content continuing to appeal to consumers and propel streaming’s growth in Japan,” said Ken Harada, Managing Director of Japan at Magnite. “Our research shows that streaming content is being consumed across more devices than ever before, unlocking more opportunities for brands to forge greater connections with their desired audiences and boost impact across screens.”

Key findings from Magnite’s study include:

• Streaming services have become essential to ad-supported viewers in Japan. 72% of this audience consider streaming services a must-have in their household and 44% said they are watching more streaming content than the year prior, compared to 4% who are watching less.
• The premium, high-quality content that streaming TV delivers engenders greater trust than that of social media platforms. 78% of ad-supported streamers trust the ads they see within TV, compared to 60% of social media users who trust ads they see on social media.
• Exposure to brands across multiple devices drives purchasing intent. 64% of ad-supported streamers are more likely to make a purchase from a brand that they engaged with across multiple devices.

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Methodology
Magnite engaged Harris Interactive to execute an online survey of 1,243 respondents in Japan from April 25 - May 5, 2023. The respondents are people ages 16-74 who watch 7+ hours of TV a week.